Something About Ann Souren
There is a saying that to whom much is given, much is required, and this cannot be much truer than when it comes to Ann Souren and music. For people who have had voice lessons with Ann, she is one great bunch of natural talent.
Ann Souren has been a fantastic songwriter, vocal coach, and a recording artist. The Armenian born San Francisco based music icon has traveled around the world, taking part in passionate musical performances. The fact is that, if it’s music, Ann Souren has gotten her body, soul and spirit dip in it. So, when news of her new album started spreading like one of California’s wildfires, I couldn’t resist putting on my review glasses to dissect the reason why “The Way I Feel” is such a great hit.
What is the album all about?
It didn’t take me long to understand why some people are “slain in the spirit” when it comes to music, particularly ones that focus exclusively on realities—the nature of things happening to, within and around us. All humans at some point are driven by emotions–a character of the human SOUL–and Ann Souren’s “The Way I Feel” album is a great soul awakening piece of ingenuity.
Subject
The album consists of 8 songs, all of which combined to provide an intense, soul compelling journey into a comprehensive, world of emotional feelings, love, betrayer, disappointment, thoughts, confessions, dreams, and hope. As the name implies, “The Way I feel” album sounds very personal. At some points, I was wondering if Ann was telling some of the stories of her past life experiences. The lyrics are compelling, with high flow in between lines. From number 1 to 8, the songs are loaded with lots of kaleidoscopic influences, which help to provide a colorful and unpredictable sound.
A class of its own
After going through the lyrics while listening to the songs several times, I have discovered that each song poses as a different ingredient to the splendid sonic recipe, in which the flavor is overwhelmingly inviting and utterly full of suspense. This is highly impressive. Most of the songs in the album are the types that take you to wonderland while you’re in the lovely mood (check out “More Than Just Friends”) or simply jolt your mind back to reality as in the track “That’s The Way I Feel”. You know quite well that money can’t buy real love.
The Real Deal
Overall, this is a great album that’s worth every penny. Of course, it was exclusively produced by Ann Souren, and I must say, what a great piece of work. The songs are catchy, fun-filled and you would want to listen to them again and again. But the most outstanding about this album is that it is significantly honest and easy to relate.
“The Way I Feel” is a project that presents her a charismatic line, hook, and sinker that will get to motivate, engage and connect with thousands of listeners, if not millions.
Alright! Let’s take a little dive into what each track offers for you and I.
Track 1: Best Friend (No More) Feat. Dan E
Now, this is where most upcoming and even professional artists failed to impress. The inability to have a strong opening to your album is worse than anything you can imagine. It gets listeners easily disconnected. If the first track on an album doesn’t have compelling power to hook, it is most likely that majority of people that listens to it will skip the rest and abandon the whole album.
The album opens strong with “Best Friend” featuring Dan E. In fact, it was this song that got me instantly interested in the rest of the album. The hook was there, and I swallowed it down even to track 8. The lyrics were compelling, and I like the way you can easily connect and relate to it. The instruments on their own with a driving percussion are superbly infectious. Even if there were to be no lyrics, “Best Friend” Would still have been a hit. The ‘soft rap’ by Dan E was clear and perfect to sing along.
The flurry of sounds that follows after the “Forever Forever” lines before the second verse is a soul thriller. It is very moving, compelling, and a driving force that leads one to the others.
Track 2: Big Mistake
This track isn’t my favorite, but you’ve got to love it for the blend of soul and R&B tone/beats it offers particularly at the start of the track. This one is great for people who have experienced heartbreaks in a relationship. It was straight to the point, and the beat flow gave it uplift. The lyrical content is dark and gloomy, but the beat gave it a lively feel.
Track 3: Sunshine No More (Feat. Andriel Pires)
In sharp contrast to “Big Mistake,” “Sunshine” was an explosive appreciation of someone who has found love and happiness and comfort. I feel like looking for someone to shine on right now! The beat is pure disco and was hot from start to finish, no dulling! Ann keeps showing just how versatile she is in adapting to different playing styles. I will give this a rating of 8/9.
Track 4: More Than Just Friends
Deep, cool and sleepy jazz miss with blues beat is all that defines this excellent song by Ann Souren. The track entails deep intimacy, one that is far beyond friendship. The call and response and continuous repetition of the track’s keyword “More Than Just Friends” is a further show of emphasis that tries to explain a connection between sex and friendship. Surely, that’s more than friendship.
Track 5: That’s The Way I Feel
This is one of the most excellent tracks on the album. Everything about it is just so real, and the message contained within the lyrics reminds me of Bob Marley’s last words to his son (Ziggy Marley) while on his deathbed, “Son, money can’t buy life.” Ann did justice to this track, which is a mixture of R&B and soul beating style—the best of it.
The track comprises of pounding instrumentation. There is no doubting it, and it is the catchiest song with a deep meaning that summarizes yet addresses three fundamental components in the human society—money, power, and conscience. Ann’s vocals were commanding, and the vibe throughout was fast and beachy. It’s worth the title of the entire album. The song is a reminder for people in the society that staying true to what you are is always the best because; there is always that point of “what goes around comes around.
Track 6: I Used To Love Someone
Now, this is the most personal song on the album. It’s another typical R&B plus soul music at its very best. One can feel Ann’s bitterness as she tells the story of how she once fell in love with someone only to lose him, becoming lonely and regretful. I guess everyone at some point have passed through such emotional stress and anguish. The tone of the song appears sad, with the reverb in heavy mode flow. From start to finish, there is nothing wrong with this song. It is, even more, encourage that after her heartbreak, she didn’t allow the situation to weigh her down. Instead, she got up over and have since moved on with her life. That’s a message to you and I: just get up and move, don’t stay down forever.
Track 7: All About The Swing
Honestly, this is the only track I didn’t quite understand, or maybe I’m just not used to the culture of the swing (sound funny?). The track sound vibes somehow uninteresting unlike the rest of the album. However, the twixt in the beat at the middle of the song gave it a lift, but it still really doesn’t show the commanding vibes and realistic character for which Ann Souren’s lyrics are famous.
Track 8: Listen to the rain
Listen to the Rain is the song with the most transparent vocals on this album. It has typical blues beating with just the piano as the primary instrument, which rhymes perfectly with the lyrical arrangement and presentation of the song. The song revolves around a colorful dim melody that is consistent throughout the song while a passionate and emotional synth-rainfall instrumentals play a complementary role in the background, more pronounced at some point. The song is perfect for folks who sometimes reminisce about the past when it was all bed and rosy with their loved one.
A piece of Ann for everyone
Boasting potent combination of Blues, Soul, R&B, and Jazz—whether Best Friend or Sunshine, Ann Souren has got something for everyone.